History:
North American T-6G 49-3292
Manufactured at the North American Aviation Factory in Dallas, TX, as AT-6C s/n 42-48884, this advanced trainer was received by the Army Air Forces on March 27, 1943. From then until November 1945 it was assigned to the 2143rd AAF Base Unit at Tuskegee, AL.
Tuskegee Army Air Field was the site of the first pilot training facility for African-Americans in the then-segregated United States military. The first cadet class (42-C), began training there in July 1941. By the end of 1946, nine hundred and thirty-two pilots had been graduated. Three hundred and fifty-five of these pilots served overseas in the 99th Fighter Squadron and later the 332nd Fighter Group. Of those, 81 were killed in combat and 31 others were taken as prisoners of war. Aircraft flown by these outstanding warriors were the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the Bell P-39 Airacobra, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and ultimately, the North American P-51 Mustang. The 99th FS received two Presidential Unit Citations and the 332nd FG received another for a March 24, 1945 mission to Berlin that resulted in the destruction of three Me-262 jet fighters and the damaging of five more.
January 1951 this aircraft was returned to North American Aviation for re-manufacture. It emerged in April with its new identity as T-6G s/n 49-3292 one of 1,802 AT-6 aircraft modified under a 1949 USAF modernization program. Modifications included a raised instructor’s seat, new cockpit layouts, increased fuel capacity, square tipped propellers, and new landing gear and tail wheel. The aircraft’s tail was not painted red at the request of the Tuskegee Airmen, the only aircraft with the red tail was the P-51.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum currently owns this aircraft whose tail number is N747JE. This tail number honors the late James Edwards who was taught to fly by Richard Macon an original Tuskegee Airmen. James was on of America’s first African American airline pilots who worked hard to keep the history of the Tuskegee Airmen alive and accurate.
Registration Number | Date of Manufacture |
N747JE | 1943 |
Aircraft Role | Nickname |
Trainer | “Pilot Maker” |
Aircraft Type: | Wingspan: |
North American AT-6/SNJ/ Harvard | 42 feet .25 inches |
Overall length: | Empty weight: |
29 feet 6 inches | 4158 pounds |
Gross weight: | Fuel capacity: |
5300 pounds | 140 gallons/ 550 miles |
Oil capacity | Engine type: |
13 Gal. | Single 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R1340 AN-1 radial piston engine |
Propeller type: | Max Speed |
Hamilton Standard 12D40 | 205 mph |
Rate of Climb | Cruise Speed |
155 mph | |
Service Ceiling | Number of Crew |
21,500 feet | Two |
Armament | Bomb Load |
None | None |
Number Built | Number Surviving |
13000 | 800+ |
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Restoration
The last major restoration of this aircraft was in 1990. It is currently under going a continuous restoration to keep it in beautiful flying condition.
Restoration Images
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Links
http://www.tuskegeeairmennationalmuseum.org
Printable QR Codes for: Tuskegee Airmen National Museum’s North American T-6G:
Please read before printing the Avery style labels
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